Final layout design ( Now building )

This is it. I can't wait any longer..lol After lots of help from here, another forum and my friends on youtube model railroaders, this is my final draft, with pre-determined buildings. All turnouts are Atlas custom-line #6, with the exception being the 3 turnouts on the Carson st/Oil/lumber yard, those are Atlas custom-line #4's.

The layout is on 3 wall's. Size is 10' 7" x 8' with a 30" lift out bridge.

As for rolling stock, I have already purchased 4 DCC Engines ( all 4 axle, one with sound ) and 18 cars, longest at 50'.

I am using sectional for the curves and flex for the straights and in a couple curves where I couldnt make sectional work ( by the yard ). 24" radii on the 2 mains and turnout going to the Water st. terminal. The 22" leading to the Carson St. terminal and 18" leading to the lumber/fuel oil terminals.

All track wil be laid directly on the plywood. I was going to use 1" foam, but determined I just won't have enough room to worry about pond/lake/streams.

Even if you don't use foam on the whole thing - use some sort of roadbed under the track - cork, or the WS foam. If you're really ambitious, build ramps from shirt cardboard and put the sidings on N scale cork roadbed (it's thinner) so the sidings will sit lower than the main tracks. You have to gradually ramp down, otherwise you will have problems with an abrupt transition. And with some form of roadbed under the track, instead of right on the plywood, it will be quieter and it will look better after ballasting.

Decided to take out the rail going from the top innner main to the yard tracks. This will give me more room for either the mountain/hill top or maybe a few extra roadside buildings ( X marks the track removed ). Also, since i already have all the turnouts bought, maybe I'll use the turnout at top of yard to add another storage track:

Printed out the track plan ( SCARM ):

Then, I took a compass and drew a center line between all the track rails, on the printed plans, so I knew where to lay the cork roadbed. Next, using my hobby knife, I started on the most outtter rails and cut along the center lines. Then I took a marker and followed along those cut center lines to transfer those center lines to the bench work:

Layed and glued the cork down using Elmers white glue full strenth. A #9 artist round tip brush using light pressure worked great spreading the glue evenly and just the right width for a 1/2 cork :

As you can see, I have pinned down some turnouts. The crossover on right side of bridge is going to be moved over to the left side of bridge. As it sits now, it will only leave me about 1/2" of straight track to glue down just after the bridge and between the turnout. Not gluing any of the turnouts down, I am afraid there wouldn't be much track to hold that turnout securely. I couldn't just move the crossover to the right due to the curve.

Sanded the end of the turnouts that I plan on having the track laid directly to the benchwork, so they ramped down to the plywood:

Final track plan, eh. Wanna bet? I finished my track plan and laying of track several years ago wth trains running ever since. Then why am I always tinkering with it? Hmmm...let's see if I move that straight section just a scosch to the right I could put the creek with a bridge over it right there. And, let me see...if I move the view block just a half inch there will be space next to the main line for that modified brewery building. And...and...

For me this is part of the fun. If you do the same I hope it is fun for you, too.

Small change to layout. I moved the cross over that was down by bridge, up top by other cross over.

I added an extra #4 turnout I had laying around, to make an imaginary entrance/exit to/from my imaginary world ( right side lower ). Not sure yet if I will make that track going into a tunnel, or just paint a set of tracks disappearing into the distance.

Sorry to resurrect an old post, but I'm back to the hobby after taking 36 years off and came accross this forum. I really like your layout design and was wondering if you had the SCARM file available to share. I'm particularly interested in how you designed your yard ladder. Thank you in advance.